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Brief To be honest, I never put much thought into my rear rotor, it just sits back there quietly doing its job. Well, one day I was out perusing one of my favorite forums when I found a post about these custom cut rear rotors. I thought it was a pretty cool idea so I thought I'd check it out. Overview Wave rotors have been out a while now, but none as interesting as what CTSmoto has to offer. They can currently cut three different patterns into any stock rotor. Each are either etched into your own rotor which, you send in to have cut, or you can purchase a newly resurfaced rotor from them for a few more bucks. Other companies offer rotors for both front and back in a wide range of patterns but none as original and inexpensive as the rotors from CTSmoto. Details Most people boast about how they never use the rear brake, but personally I use it quite a bit and to be honest I was a little leery about how this kind of modification would effect my riding. CTSmoto says that their rear rotor will out perform the stock equivalent in many ways. CTSmoto states that their rotors will stop faster, they will not lock up and they run much cooler. The only negative thing they mentioned is that the cut rotors may eat up the rear pads about 20% faster than stock. CTSMoto offers three different patterns to choose from. Their most simple design is called "EDGE" and just like it sounds they are cut around the edge of the rotor. A nice change to the stock look without effecting the way the rotor performs. The "WAVE" cut is machined with nice round designs into the stock holes. The "STEALTH" design is similar to the "WAVE" but instead uses more straight angles instead of rounding the corners. Both the "WAVE" and "STEALTH" should run cooler and boast better stopping power but may cause excessive brake usage. So, after weighing all the options, I decided to give it a try. I chose a newly resurfaced "Wave" cut rotor and after a few days it arrived at my door. I just so happened to be swapping out my tires so I already had the tires off. Changing out the rear rotor is quite simple and only takes a few minutes. It's a good idea to check your pads while you doing this as mine were a little more worn than the last time I checked them. I decided to swap them out as well so I'd have a better idea of how the new rotor works with a good set of pads. After installation I took the bike out for a quick ride and right from the start, the stopping power of the rear rotor was almost non existent. No matter how hard I applied the brakes, the rotor would fail to work properly. I figured that since the rotor was recently resurface, it may take some time to get the new surface working properly. Sure enough, after only a few miles of stop and go braking the rotor started performing as it did naturally. I installed braided lines some time ago which did cause the rear brake to be a little more unforgiving than the stock setup. After the resurfaced rotor was all broke in, I found that CTSmoto's claim of not being able to lock up their rear rotor to be absolutely true. It's kind of a nice feeling knowing that you can pretty much stomp on the rear brake and it won't lock up. Now, I did my tests on clean dry roads so they may perform different on dirty or wet pavement. I didn't notice any difference in stopping control between the stock setup and CTSmoto's rear rotor. Well, after all is said and done you may ask yourself if this is a worthwhile modification for you bike. I wasn't too interested in CTSmoto's claims of cooler temperatures or better braking as I was pretty happy with the stock setup. I may be just a poser but I was initially turned on to the idea because of the way they look on the bike. For me, the benefits in braking and stopping power are just side effects of an incredible looking modification at less than half the price of other custom rotors. Personally, I would highly recommend this modification for those riders who are interested in a different look. I would also highly recommend this mod for those who are looking for a little better performance out of their rear brakes. Either way, the custom cut rotors from CTSmoto have really great look and feel... and I like it! )
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